(Jul 09, 2010) It was reported on July 8, 2010, that Denmark's government is planning to amend rules on state grants to students to limit the number of years in which a student can qualify for the funding. By cutting the period to five years, the government hopes to push students to complete their education and enter the workforce more rapidly. Those who take longer to finish their studies could still be eligible for low-interest loans to pay their tuition fees. (New Rules Would Cut Eligibility Period to Five Years, THE COPENHAGEN POST (July 8, 2010), http://www.cphpost.dk/news/national/88-national/49419-changes-in-works-for-student-grant.html.)

In Denmark, all citizens over the age of 18 who are in post-secondary school programs qualify for tuition grants, given by the Statens Uddannelsesstøtte Styrelsen (SU, or National Education Grant and Loan Agency). The amount depends on age, income, and living arrangements and ranges from 2,000 to 5,000 kroner monthly (about US$338-845). A government Tax Commission established in 2009 originally suggested cutting the number of years in which Danes could receive the SU benefits to four, both as a cost-cutting move and to encourage students to complete their degrees quickly. Some have argued, however, that the move will lengthen the number of years to complete a degree, since more students will have to have part-time jobs to finance their educations. (Id.; SU website [available in Danish or English], http://www.su.dk/Sider/default.aspx (last visited July 8, 2010).)

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